Shade-roller adjuster.



c UMBI J. C. EBERLB.

SHADE ROLLER ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

\ mew/io b a /Q WKM 1 7 A PLANOGRAPH 00., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. G. EBERLE.

SHADE ROLLER ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION IILBD NOV. 27, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

00 WASHINGTON u c JOHN C. EBERLE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SHADE-ROLLER ADJUSTER.

Application filed November 27, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 733,803.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN C. EBERLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Shade-Roller Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in window shade adjusters.

The object of the invention is to provide an adjusting device for window shade rollers comprising supports for the shade roller, and means by which the said roller may be raised or lowered with respect to the window frame, and held at the desired point of adjustment.

Further, to provide a device of this character, comprising guide rods secured to the window frame, shade roller brackets slidably mounted on said rods, pulleys at the upper ends of the rods, and flexible connections secured to the shade roller brack ets and passed over the pulleys, whereby, by drawing upon or slacking said connections the shade roller may be raised or lowered, the pulleys being adapted either for attachment to the outside of the ordinary window frame, or for attachment to the opposing faces of box frames or to be so arranged in either case that the shade roller may be op erated from either the right or left hand side of the window.

These objects are accomplished by the de vice illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a front view of the upper portion of a window frame showing the improved adjusting device secured thereto, and supporting a shade roller. Fig. 2 is a contracted front view-full size showing all the parts constituting the improved device. Fig. 3 is a plan View of one of the pulleys and its supporting bracket, and parts con nected therewith. Fig. 4 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. is a front view showing one of the pulleys in a reverse position to that shown in Fig. 2, or the position in which they are secured when the shade is operated from the left side of the window frame. Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the upper supporting brackets for the guide rods and pulley supports, said brackets being constructed as rights and lofts. Fig. 7 is a Side view of the left end shade roller bracket. Fig. 8 is a side view of the right end shade roller bracket. Fig. 9 is a side view of one of the brackets for supporting the lower ends of the guide rods. And Fig. 10 is a view, partly sectional and partly in plan, showing a portion of the left end of the shade roller, the guide rod, and roller bracket, and a spring clip for engaging the stationary trunnion on the end of the roller, to prevent its escape from the bracket.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: the numeral 1 designates a window frame, upon opposite sides of which are secured vertically disposed rods 2, which are parallel with respect to each other. These rods are secured to the window frame at their lower ends, by brackets 3 comprising metal plates shaped to provide portions which are bent or rolled upon themselves to form vertical sleeves 4 upon their front edges through which the lower ends of the rods pass, and horizontal sleeves 5 at their lower ends through which screws 6 are passed and screwed into the window frame, as shown. Portions of these plates are also bent at right angles to form wings 7 which are provided with one or more holes for the reception of screws 8, which are also screwed into the window frame, and provide an additional securing means for the brackets. The parts of the brackets above the wings 7 are reduced in width, as shown at 9 and their rear edges are in the form of V-shaped points 10 which are adapted to be driven into the window frame. These brackets are made rights and lofts, the wings 7, projecting from the inner faces of the plates as shown.

The brackets 11 which support the upper ends of the rods 2 are similar 1n shape to the brackets 3 and consist of metal plates, having portions which are rolled upon themselves to form vertical sleeves 12 through which the upper ends of the rods pass, and horizontal sleeves 13 through which screws 14 are passed, and which are screwed into the window frame. The brackets 11 however, are secured in a reverse position to the brackets 3, or with the sleeves 13 uppermost, and they are also provided with right angled wings 15, which are apertured to receive securing screws 16 and the upper portions of the wings 15 are bent forward at right angles to form triangular bracing webs 17 which rest against the inner faces of the brackets and prevent them from inclining Patented Nov. 18 1913.

toward each other when the cords are drawn upon to operate the shade roller, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 2.

The front edges of the plate or body portions of the brackets 11 are slotted or recessed horizontally, flush with the upper ends of the sleeves 12 as shown at 18, and the body portions of the brackets, are reduced in width, below the wings 15 as shown at 19, and the rear edges of these reduced portions are V-shaped, as shown at 20, and the V-shaped portions are driven into the window frame and thus form additional securing means for the brackets.

The upper ends of the rods 2 are provided with heads 21 and between the heads, and the ends of the bracket sleeves 12 through which the rods are passed, are clamped horizontal pulley supporting plates 22 and 22 having apertures through which the rods pass, and openings 23, in their forward portions, on opposite sides of which, and upon the under side of the plates, are formed or secured lugs or blocks, 24, through which are passed pins 25 upon which are mounted pulley wheels 26 and 26 respec tively, which are in direct line with each, as shown.

The lower ends of the rods 2 are threaded, and nuts 27 are screwed upon them against the lower ends of the sleeves 4 of the brackets 3 and in this way the heads of the rods are clamped against the plates 22 and 22 The tensile strain thus exerted upon the rods prevents them from becoming bowed or sprung out of a direct vertical line.

The pulley supporting plates 22 and 22 are not rights and lefts, but are both identical in construction, and the portions of the plates in which the pulleys are mounted, are in the form of frames, the right hand ends of which extend beyond the portions of the plates through which the rods 2 pass, thus permitting the pulleys to be mounted to the right of the line of the rods, s0 that the cords which pass over them and connect with the shade roller brackets as will presently be described, will extend parallel with the rods, as shown by Fig. 2.

The parts of the plates 22 and 22 through which the rods 2 pass, have extensions 28 on their right and left sides and similar extensions 28 on their rear sides, which are bent up at right angles to the plate, and these extensions are divided or slotted centrally as shown at 29, the slots extending into the horizontal portions of the plates a slight distance, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3.

In order to secure one of the plates to its bracket 11, the said plate is placed upon the sleeve portion 12 of the bracket, with the rod receiving aperture therein registering with the sleeve.

The slot 18 in the front edge of the bracket 11 permits the slotted, upturned portions 28 of the plate, to straddle the edge of the bracket, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, so that when the rod 2 is passed through the plate and bracket, and its head clamped down upon the plate, the said plate will be prevented from being turned upon its axis by the engagement of the slotted upright portion 28 with the adjacent edge of the bracket. In attaching my device to the usual style of window frame, the rods and supporting brackets are secured to the outside faces of the opposite sides of the frame as shown by Fig. 1, but in the case of box frames, the brackets are secured to the opposing faces of the frames, or so as to face each other, one side of such a frame being shown by the dotted line 30, in Fig. 3, and in this case, the front edges of the bracket 11 are in line and are engaged or straddled by one of the two oppositely positioned slotted upturned portions 28 of the plate 22 instead of by the member 28 as will be understood.

\Vhen, for any reason, it is desired to operate the shade from the left side of the frame, the pulley supporting plates 22 and 22 are reversed, or turned upside down, as shown by Fig. 5, thus permitting the cords attached to the shade roller brackets to stand in vertical lines and parallel with the rods 2.

Before passing the lower ends of the rods 5:, through the sleeves of lower brackets 3, the shade roller brackets 31 and 32 are slipped upon the left hand and right hand rods respectively. These brackets are rights and lefts and are identical in construction with the exception of the bearing apertures 33 and 3 respectively, the aperture 33 in the bracket 31, being rectangular in form to receive the usual rectangular stud 35 which forms part of the ratchet disk connected with the usual operating spring, which is housed in the roller 36, the roller and parts ronnected therewith being the common form of spring roiler, and therefore requiring no further description.

The aperture 34 in the bracket 32 forms a bearing for a headed pin or journal 37 which projects from the right hand end of the roller 86 and the head of this pin is passed through an aperture 38 of sufiicient size to admit it. and this aperture opens into the upper end of the aperture 34. \Vhen the pin 37 bears upon the bottom of the aperture Slthe head of the said pin overlaps the sides of the said aperture, and prevents the bracket from becoming accidentally disengaged from the pin. The stud is held against accidental disengagement from the bracket 31 by a spring clip 39 in the form of a transversely divided band or ring. the ends of which are forced apart to receive and grip the said stud with suflicient force to prevent its accidental displacement therefrom, and this clip being on the outside of the bracket, prevents the same from becoming disconnected from the stud. The ends of the spring clip 39 may be parted in any suitable manner, in connecting the clip with the stud 35. In Fig. 10 is illustrated a clip in one side of which is threaded a screw 39, the end of which bears upon the opposite side of the clip, when the screw is turned, and thus forces the ends of the clip apart so that it may be slipped upon the stud after which the screw is turned in a reverse direction to permit the clamping action of the clip, as will be understood. The rear edges of the brackets 31 and 32 have portions at their upper and lower ends, which are bent or rolled upon themselves to form bands or sleeves 40, through which the rods 2 pass, the sleeves on each bracket being in axial line.

Ears 41 having holes 42 are formed on the upper ends of the brackets and these ears are bent down in opposite directions from each other. The sleeves 40 of the brackets 31 and 32 fit the rods 2 loosely enough to permit of the free sliding movement of the brackets upon said rods.

One end of a cord 43 is passed through the hole in the ear 41 of the bracket 31 and knotted so as to engage the ear. The cord is then passed up over the pulley 26 and across to and over the pulley 26 The other end 44 of the cord is also passed through the hole in the ear of the bracket 32, and is knotted so as to engage the ear. This cord is then passed up and around the pulley 26 with the cord 43 and to the looped end of this cord is attached a single cord 44 which extends to a suitable holding device such as a cleat 45. It will thus be seen that by drawing upon the cord 44, the brackets 31 and 32 with the shade roller 36 may be raised to the desired position, and held in such position by wrapping the cords about the cleat 45. When the cord is released the roller and shade will descend by gravity, and may be secured at the desired position by wrapping the cord about the cleat as above mentioned. The brackets 31 and 32 hold the shade roller in a true horizontal position, and as the operating cords attached to these brackets are drawn upon simultaneously, and released in the same manner, binding of the said brackets upon the rods is prevented, and the rods are maintained in a true vertical position by the nuts on their lower ends, which are screwed against the sleeve portions of the brackets 3.

As the rod holding brackets are prevented from inclining toward each other by their side wings, and as the pulley supporting plates are prevented from turning by the engagement of their slotted upturned portions with the outer edges of the brackets 11, the pulleys will thus be held in direct alinement with each other, which will prevent binding upon their pivot pins in operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device as specified, the combination with a window frame, of upper and lower brackets on the opposite sides of the frame, having alined sleeve portions, headed rods supported at their opposite ends in said sleeve portions, their lower ends being threaded and provided with nuts which are screwed against the ends of the adjacent sleeve portions, plates clamped between the heads of said rods and the ends of the sleeve portions of the said upper brackets, pulleys mounted in said plates, brackets slidably mounted on the rods, a shade roller supported in said brackets, and cords attached to said roller brackets and passed up over the pulleys above, one of said cords being also passed to and over the opposite pulley, and means for attaching the cords to hold the roller at the desired point of adjustment.

2. In a device as specified, the combination with a window frame, of upper and lower brackets on opposite sides of the same, having alined sleeve portions, headed rods supported at their opposite ends in said sleeve portions, plates interposed between the heads of said rods and the adjacent sleeves of said upper brackets, slotted portions on said plates engaging the edges of said upper brackets to prevent axial turning of said plates, and nuts on the lower ends of said rods engaging the adjacent sleeves, by which the heads of the rods are clamped upon the plates, pulleys mounted in the plates, brackets having sleeve portions in sliding engagement with the rods, a shade roller mounted in said brackets, and a cord the ends of which are connected to said brackets and passed up over the rollers above them, one member of said cord being also passed over the roller opposite its own, in order to be operated simultaneously with the cord thereon, a single cord attached to the looped end of the first cord, and a cleat to which the latter cord is attached.

3. In a shade roller adjuster as specified, the combination with parallel headed slide rods, brackets slidably mounted thereon, ashade roller supported by said brackets, and means for securing said rods to opposite sides of a window frame, comprising upper and lower brackets having vertically alined tubular portions for receiving the opposite ends of the rods, and portions for receiving securing screws, of plates having rod receiving apertures, which are interposed between the heads of said rods and the adjacent tubular portions of the upper brackets,

slotted. right angled: members onsaidplates which straddle the outer edges of said brackets, to prevent axial, rotation of the plates, pulleys mounted in said plates, and cords connected to the shade roller brackets, one of which extends up and over the near est pulley, while the other is arranged likewise, and is also passed to and over the opposite pulley to beoperated simultaneously with he first cord.

4. Ina device as specified, the Combination with parallel slide rods, supports at opposite ends thereof, roller. supporting brackets slidably mounted on the rods, and

cordsattachedtp said brackets, of reversible 5 posite pulley tozbe operated simultaneously 2o Wit-h; the cord; thereon.

I i-testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. EBERLE.

W nesssS G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ELIZABETH SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by, addressing the Commissioner ofnlatents, Washington, D. 0'. 

